The Picture of Dorian Gray — Page 3
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"
Lord Henry elevated his eyebrows and looked at him in amazement through the thin blue wreaths of smoke that curled up in such fanciful whorls from his heavy, opium-tainted cigarette.
Lord Henry alzò le sopracciglia e lo guardò con stupore attraverso i sottili veli azzurri di fumo che si arricciavano in così fantasiosi volute dalla sua pesante sigaretta intrisa di oppio.
"Not send it anywhere? My dear fellow, why?
«Non mandarla da nessuna parte? Caro mio, perché?
Have you any reason?
Hai qualche motivo?
What odd chaps you painters are!
Che strani individui siete voi pittori!
You do anything in the world to gain a reputation.
Fareste qualsiasi cosa al mondo per guadagnarvi una reputazione.
As soon as you have one, you seem to want to throw it away.
Non appena la ottenete, sembrate volerla buttare via.
It is silly of you, for there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
È una sciocchezza da parte vostra, poiché c'è una sola cosa al mondo peggiore dell'essere discussi, ed è il non essere discussi.
A portrait like this would set you far above all the young men in England, and make the old men quite jealous, if old men are ever capable of any emotion."
Un ritratto come questo vi porrebbe ben al di sopra di tutti i giovani d'Inghilterra, e renderebbe i vecchi assai gelosi, se i vecchi sono mai capaci di provare qualche emozione.»
"I know you will laugh at me," he replied, "but I really can't exhibit it.
«So che riderete di me,» rispose, «ma non posso davvero esporlo.
I have put too much of myself into it."
Vi ho messo troppo di me stesso.»
Lord Henry stretched himself out on the divan and laughed.
Lord Henry si distese sul divano e rise.
"Yes, I knew you would; but it is quite true, all the same."
«Sì, sapevo che lo avreste fatto; ma è del tutto vero, lo stesso.»
"Too much of yourself in it! Upon my word, Basil, I didn't know you were so vain; and I really can't see any resemblance between you, with your rugged strong face and your coal-black hair, and this young Adonis, who looks as if he was made out of ivory and rose-leaves.
«Troppo di voi stesso in esso! Parola mia, Basil, non sapevo foste così vanitoso; e non riesco davvero a vedere alcuna somiglianza tra voi, con il vostro viso robusto e forte e i vostri capelli neri come il carbone, e questo giovane Adone, che sembra fatto d'avorio e petali di rosa.
Vocabulary
- alzò
- He/she raised or lifted something
- le
- The (feminine plural) or indirect object pronoun her
- sopracciglia
- Eyebrows, the hair above the eyes
- e
- And, a basic coordinating conjunction
- lo
- Him or it, masculine singular object pronoun
- guardò
- He/she looked at or watched someone
- con
- With, a common Italian preposition
- stupore
- Amazement, astonishment, or great surprise
- attraverso
- Through or across a space or medium
- i
- The, masculine plural definite article
- sottili
- Thin, slender, or delicate in form
- veli
- Veils or thin, transparent fabric layers
- azzurri
- Sky-blue or light blue in color
- di
- Of or from, a very common preposition
- fumo
- Smoke, vapor rising from burning material
- che
- That, which, or who; versatile conjunction/pronoun
- si
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself or each other
- arricciavano
- They curled or coiled in spiraling shapes
- in
- In or into, a basic Italian preposition
- così
- So, thus, or in this way
- fantasiosi
- Fanciful, imaginative, or whimsically creative
- volute
- Spiraling coils or curling swirls of smoke
- dalla
- From the, contraction of da and la
- sua
- His, her, or its (possessive adjective singular)
- pesante
- Heavy, weighty, or burdensome in feel
- sigaretta
- Cigarette, a small rolled tobacco product
- intrisa
- Soaked, saturated, or steeped in something
- oppio
- Opium, a narcotic substance derived from poppies
- Non
- Not, the standard Italian negation word
- mandarla
- To send her or it somewhere
- da
- From, by, or since; common Italian preposition
- nessuna
- No, none, or not any (feminine)
- parte
- Place, part, or direction
- Caro
- Dear or expensive; term of affection
- mio
- My, first-person singular possessive adjective
- perché
- Why or because; question and conjunction word
- Hai
- You have, second-person singular of avere
- qualche
- Some or any, an indefinite adjective
- motivo
- Reason, motive, or cause for something
- Che
- What, how; used in exclamations
- strani
- Strange, odd, or peculiar (masculine plural)
- individui
- Individuals, persons, or characters (plural)
- siete
- You are, second-person plural of essere
- voi
- You, second-person plural subject pronoun
- pittori
- Painters, artists who work with paint
- Fareste
- You would do, conditional of fare
- qualsiasi
- Any, whatever, or any kind of
- cosa
- Thing or what; very common Italian word
- al
- To the, contraction of a and il
- mondo
- World or universe; earthly existence
- per
- For, in order to, or through
- guadagnarvi
- To earn or gain for yourselves
- una
- A or an, feminine indefinite article
- reputazione
- Reputation, public regard or standing
- appena
- As soon as, just, or barely
- la
- The (feminine singular) or object pronoun her
- ottenete
- You obtain or achieve something (plural)
- sembrate
- You seem or appear (second-person plural)
- volerla
- To want it or her
- buttare
- To throw or toss something away
- via
- Away, off, or a street/road
- È
- Is, third-person singular of essere
- sciocchezza
- Foolishness, silliness, or a stupid act
- vostra
- Your, second-person plural possessive adjective
- poiché
- Since or because, a causal conjunction
- c'è
- There is, contraction of ci and è
- sola
- Only, alone, or sole (feminine singular)
- peggiore
- Worse or worst, comparative of cattivo
- dell'
- Of the, elided contraction before vowel
- essere
- To be, the fundamental Italian verb
- discussi
- Discussed or talked about (past participle plural)
- ed
- And, variant of e used before vowels
- è
- Is, third-person singular present of essere
- il
- The, masculine singular definite article
- non
- Not, standard Italian negation particle
- Un
- A or an, masculine indefinite article
- ritratto
- Portrait, a painted or drawn likeness
- come
- Like, how, or as; versatile comparison word
- questo
- This, masculine singular demonstrative adjective
- vi
- You (plural) or there, object/adverbial pronoun
- porrebbe
- Would place or put (conditional of porre)
- ben
- Well, quite, or indeed; adverb form
- sopra
- Above, over, or on top of
- tutti
- All or everyone, masculine plural adjective/pronoun
- giovani
- Young people or youth (plural noun/adjective)
- d'
- Of, elided form of di before vowel
- Inghilterra
- England, the country in Great Britain
- renderebbe
- Would make or render (conditional of rendere)
- vecchi
- Old men or old people (plural noun)
- assai
- Very, quite, or exceedingly; archaic intensifier
- gelosi
- Jealous or envious (masculine plural adjective)
- se
- If or whether, a conditional conjunction
- sono
- They are or I am (essere, present)
- mai
- Ever, never, or at any time
- capaci
- Capable or able (masculine plural adjective)
- provare
- To try, test, or experience an emotion
- emozione
- Emotion or feeling experienced internally
- So
- I know, first-person singular of sapere
- riderete
- You will laugh (future of ridere, plural)
- me
- Me, first-person singular object pronoun
- rispose
- He/she replied or answered (past tense)
- ma
- But, a common coordinating conjunction
- posso
- I can or I am able to
- davvero
- Really, truly, or indeed; emphatic adverb
- esporlo
- To exhibit or display it (accusative pronoun)
- Vi
- You (plural) or there; object/adverbial pronoun
- ho
- I have, first-person singular of avere
- messo
- Put or placed (past participle of mettere)
- troppo
- Too much or excessively; common adverb/adjective
- stesso
- Same or oneself; emphatic adjective/pronoun
- distese
- He/she stretched out or lay down
- sul
- On the, contraction of su and il
- divano
- Sofa or couch, a piece of furniture
- rise
- He/she laughed (past tense of ridere)
- Sì
- Yes, the standard Italian affirmative reply
- sapevo
- I knew (imperfect past of sapere)
- avreste
- You would have (conditional of avere, plural)
- fatto
- Done or made (past participle of fare)
- del
- Of the or some, masculine singular contraction
- tutto
- All, everything, or completely
- vero
- True, real, or genuine
- Troppo
- Too much or excessively (repeated for emphasis)
- esso
- It, third-person singular neuter pronoun
- Parola
- Word or promise; upon my word
- mia
- My, first-person singular feminine possessive
- foste
- You were, second-person plural past of essere
- vanitoso
- Vain, conceited, or overly proud of oneself
- riesco
- I manage or succeed (present of riuscire)
- a
- To or at, a basic Italian preposition
- vedere
- To see or to look at something
- alcuna
- Any or no (feminine singular, in negation)
- somiglianza
- Resemblance, likeness, or similarity between things
- tra
- Between or among; a common preposition
- vostro
- Your, second-person plural possessive adjective
- viso
- Face, the front part of the head
- robusto
- Robust, strong, or sturdy in build
- forte
- Strong, powerful, or loud
- vostri
- Your (masculine plural possessive adjective)
- capelli
- Hair, specifically the hair on one's head
- neri
- Black (masculine plural adjective)
- carbone
- Coal or charcoal, a dark carbon material
- giovane
- Young person or young (adjective/noun)
- sembra
- Seems or appears (third-person singular of sembrare)
- avorio
- Ivory, a creamy white material or color
- petali
- Petals, the colorful parts of a flower
- rosa
- Rose (flower) or pink (color)
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